


I Wanna Be Yours

by lotusk



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Blow Jobs, Cat/Human Hybrids, Catboys & Catgirls, Domestic Fluff, First Kiss, First Love, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Forbidden Love, Hand Jobs, Light Angst, M/M, Marking, Masturbation, Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Pining, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-25
Updated: 2015-01-25
Packaged: 2018-03-09 01:21:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3230861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lotusk/pseuds/lotusk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cat hybrid Jongin wants to be so much more than a pet to his master Kyungsoo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Wanna Be Yours

The drizzle hits the sidewalk in a fragile, steady stream, creating tiny pinging coronet splashes of water, and the chilly air wraps itself around Kyungsoo's hands and face. The world is a gray blanket and Kyungsoo thinks it's an eerily accurate reflection of his current mood. In fact, it's reflective of his daily state of mind. When was the last time something had made him smile? Honest to God smile, not just smile because it's expected of him, or because everyone else in the room happens to be smiling. He honestly can't remember and he's not sure what worries him more: the fact that he can't remember or the fact that he doesn't care that he can't remember.

The green man appears and his feet pad across the yellow lines. Rainwater stains his shoes and his pant legs as he moves robotically on the well-worn journey to his workplace, which is a publishing firm where Kyungsoo is employed as a junior editor. About two minutes before he's due to reach the glass revolving door that leads into the building where he works, Kyungsoo notices an advertisement adorning the screen - one that wasn't there the day before, one that he's never seen. The moving LED display is flashing a montage of smiling people talking and interacting contentedly with hybrid catboys and catgirls. Cheesy captions scroll across the large 8 x 10 ft screen:

_Is your home too quiet?_  
_Do you feel lonely in your own home?_  
_Do you want a companion who isn't demanding?_

The images are the most highly romanticized, clichéd things Kyungsoo has ever seen and he dismisses them from his mind before he's even reached his building.

* * *

The day has been like any other in the monotonous landscape of Kyungsoo's daily existence and the only thing that's changed since this morning is the fact that it's no longer raining. But the bleak, watery sunshine does nothing to lift Kyungsoo's mood and he walks listlessly towards the train station where he'll take the Samcheongdong train to Noksapyeong where he'll get off and walk precisely 13.5 minutes before he reaches the slate gray apartment building he doesn't really call home. Just another cog in the wheel of every day.

However, when he walks past the advertising screen he occasionally glimpses in the morning but never ever looks at in the evening, Kyungsoo involuntarily turns his head to stare at it and his eyes reluctantly decipher the clinical white Hangul characters marching across the bottom of the screen: _Is your home too quiet? Do you feel lonely in your own home? Do you want a companion who isn't demanding?_

The words haunt him all the way home.

* * *

There's a thud as the ceramic plate impacts the wooden surface of the coffee table. Too unmotivated to cook (which happens fairly often), Kyungsoo has made himself a ham and lettuce sandwich. And to add a dash of culinary fire, he's placed a duo of raw cheong-gochu peppers beside his crude meal. The TV has been on since he got home. It's often on even when he's not actually watching it - ambient noise to drown out the yawning silence of his apartment.

He's taking a bite of the insipid, too-dry sandwich when he hears a woman's voice speak familiar words that make him flinch: _Is your home too quiet? Do you feel lonely in your home? Do you want a companion who isn't demanding? Agape Pets can help. Call 82-2-62826363 toll free._ Warily, he looks up and is faced with the same images he's already seen twice today. It's beginning to feel less and less like a coincidence and more and more like a sign. Kyungsoo's sigh is loud and drawn out as he picks up his sandwich and takes another bite.

* * *

That night, as his back is pressed against plain dove gray sheets, Kyungsoo tries to lose himself in sleep but the deafening quiet of the apartment seems more oppressive than usual. And somewhere in the apartment, there's the drip-drip-dripping of a tap. Kyungsoo makes a mental note to repair the faucet in the hall toilet, and it takes another twenty-five minutes before his fatigued mind and body finally lapse into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Over the next five days, Kyungsoo walks past the Agape Pets ad twice daily and he keeps hearing it on the radio and the TV; he refuses to access the website and find out more. But despite all his efforts to ignore Agape Pets, he's beginning to feel deluged. Even at work, he can't quite escape it.

"What happened to your ..." Kyungsoo lets his words trail off as he indicates the long, razor thin crimson line that mars the bleached ivory of Minseok's arm.

"Ahhh, this." Minseok smiles a little sheepishly. "I adopted a cat hybrid a few months ago. We were playing touch rugby over the weekend and Sehun scratched me by accident while we were struggling for the ball."

"You have a male cat?"

"Yes. It's mandatory. Male owners can only adopt male pets and female owners can only adopt female pets. Something about 'establishing a more equal power balance'. It's supposed to be about companionship, not dominance. Whoa, I swear I didn't mean to sound like a brochure for Agape Pets!" Minseok chuckles a little self-consciously.

"Is your cat disruptive? I mean does he mess up stuff? Is he noisy?"

"It all depends on the cat you choose, Kyungsoo. They have ... different personalities. Sehun has high energy levels but he can be quiet too. He was a little noisy at first and it took some getting used to because I'd lived alone for years. But we got used to having each other around. I don't miss how quiet my apartment was before Sehun." Minseok explains and Kyungsoo listens thoughtfully.

"Are you getting one?"

"I never thought about getting one before but life seems to have other ideas lately." Kyungsoo frowns.

"For what it's worth? I have no regrets." Minseok gives Kyungsoo an encouraging smile before heading back to his work cubicle. It's the same soul-sapping shade of gray as every other cubicle in the office. Kyungsoo tries to shake off all the non-work related thoughts from his head like one would shake raindrops of an umbrella. But it doesn't work. He attempts to focus his attention on the words in the editorial copy before him, but other words keep swimming amidst the ocean of words he must process. Words that won't leave him alone: _Is your home too quiet? Do you feel lonely in your own home?_

* * *

Kyungsoo's fingers fidget with the buckle of his black messenger bag as he stands in the center of a cavernous lobby surrounded by gleaming marble surfaces and celadon green tempered glass. The building directory informs him that Agape Pets is on the 21st floor and biting his lower lip with determination, Kyungsoo finally walks up to the elevator and presses the upward arrow. There's a lump of lifeless cold muscle where his heart should be and he's sorely tempted to flee the building ... but he can't ignore the signs anymore. He has to see this through. The doors slide open and he walks in, his face grim as he selects the disc marked 21.

* * *

"We've run your documents through the Seoul Central Database and your records seem to be in order, Mr. Do. Since you're financially solvent and able to provide a cat hybrid with a stable home, we are more than happy to provide you with a pet as per the terms outlined in the contract we discussed earlier." The man Baekhyun, who appears to be in his early thirties, informs a shell shocked Kyungsoo. He'd expected the process to take days, weeks even. What he had not expected was to be told he could bring his pet home today. Baekhyun talks in a continuous, unbroken stream as he guides Kyungsoo through a carpeted corridor. Their footfalls are hushed and all Kyungsoo hears is Baekhyun's polite and congenial voice as he imparts copious amounts of pet-related information. Kyungsoo tries to commit as much of it to memory as he can but it's a daunting amount to digest all at once.

_You may only adopt a male pet._  
You are responsible for keeping the pet well-fed and housed.  
The pet is a companion but he may be asked to do menial chores such as housework and cooking to give him a sense of purpose.  
The pet is purely a platonic companion and current legislation forbids owners and pets from having sexual relations of any kind.  
You may not physically or verbally abuse the pet in any way.  
The Hybrid Rights Protection Agency requires that Agape personnel should make spontaneous, unannounced home visits 4 times yearly to ensure that the pet is being treated well.  
There is a 15-day cooling period in which you may return your pet but you will be liable for certain charges as stipulated in the contract.  
Detailed information is provided in the Agape Pet Owner's Manual and we have a 24 hour helpline for owners requiring assistance. 

Baekhyun's wiry frame comes to a stop in front of a black wooden door and Kyungsoo stills too. His chest still feels arctic and the voice in his head keeps asking him why he's here, keeps asking him what he's doing taking on a dependent when he's barely keeping his own head above water. Kyungsoo's been wandering aimlessly through his own life like a powerless passenger; so how does he honestly think he will look after the needs of another entity? Is it even possible? He needs to tell Baekhyun he's changed his mind and that he has to be somewhere and that he regrets the inconvenience but he won't be signing the contract after all. 

Before Kyungsoo is able to launch into full on flight mode though, Baekhyun pushes the black door inward and Kyungsoo finds himself standing in front of two male cat hybrids. They're dressed simply in midnight blue cotton scrubs and they're each holding a book of some kind. Of course, Kyungsoo remembers. It's mandatory for all hybrids to be educated till age 17, after which they qualify to be put up for adoption. He's seen a few hybrids in his time, but always at a distance. He's never even seen one this up close and he's awestruck by their beauty. Seeing them in print and screen has not prepared Kyungsoo in the least for the visual impact of seeing them in the flesh. 

"These are the pets who are immediately available for adoption." Baekhyun says and Kyungsoo finally allows himself to look at each of the cats. They both have the same furry, cat ears with shell pink insides atop their heads and long, luxuriant tails, but there the similarities end. The first one has black hair and tail with attractive deep purple tips like they've been dip dyed. His almond shaped eyes tilt upwards and he looks the more feline of the two.

"This is Jongdae. He's 21. He was with his previous owner for 4 years but the man had to relocate to another country where hybrids are considered illegal so he had to return Jongdae."

Kyungsoo watches Jongdae as he sits quietly before him, staring at his hands. Kyungsoo tries to imagine Jongdae in his apartment and ... he just can't see him there. Instinctively, he knows this isn't the cat for him even though Jongdae looks like a perfectly acceptable, even admirable pet. 

Kyungsoo's eyes fall upon the second hybrid. He's tall, with slim, broad shoulders and forearms that are long and slender ... Kyungsoo thinks they're beautiful. Where Jongdae has attractive, baby faced features, this brown haired cat is handsome in a very masculine way with his squarish jaw, strong nose and dark brows. He has a very sensual mouth that almost, but not quite reminds Kyungsoo of his own; and his skin is a honeyed cinnamon which radiates health and energy. But in the end, it is his eyes that ultimately make the final decision for Kyungsoo. They're not as large or arresting as Jongdae's eyes, but the dark brown irises look straight at Kyungsoo and never falter. He sees curiosity and a kind of earnestness in them, and as the frozen lump in Kyungsoo's chest cavity unexpectedly melts and evaporates, he knows that this is the cat for him. 

"This is Jongin. He's 20 and he's never had an owner. A lot of pet owners prefer to get pets who are smaller than them in stature. As you can see, Jongin is around 6 feet tall and some owners find his size intimidating. But he has a very good temperament and can cook and do housework. Jongin would make a wonderful pet." 

Kyungsoo wants to slowly mull over which cat to pick. He also wants to tell Baekhyun he's had cold feet and won't be picking any cat; but in the end he just inhales and says shakily, _I'll take Jongin, please_ and tries not to see the poorly concealed hope and relief in Jongin's soulful brown eyes.

* * *

"Jongin's very adaptable and self-sufficient so you shouldn't have any trouble settling him in." Baekhyun's voice is calming and reassuring and Kyungsoo tries to focus on that bead of serenity as the enormity of what he's done - _is doing_ \- threatens to drown him. It's company policy that an Agape Pets representative must ensure that each pet is placed in a suitable physical home environment, so Baekhyun drives them all to Kyungsoo's apartment building, with Jongin sitting quietly in the back. As Kyungsoo stares out of the car window at the increasingly familiar trees, shops, eateries and residential buildings, he wonders if it's odd that he's bringing this creature home with him when he's never even heard him speak?

Kyungsoo really hadn't been expecting to bring a pet home today but fortunately, he has a small guest room with a spare double bed and closet. He's never had guests stay over but when he was moving in, it had seemed like a good idea to have a guest room. When he brings work home from the office, this is where he does it because he'd installed a simple, pine work desk in front of the plate glass window equipped with a desktop computer and black swivel chair. He should probably move all that into his own room now that it's about to become Jongin's private space. _If_ Kyungsoo decides to keep him.

"You seem to have an ideal set up here, so I'll be making a move now. This is my business card. You can find my direct line on the front here, and the Agape helpline numbers are printed on the back for easy access. Please don't hesitate to call us, Mr. Do, if you need any kind of assistance. But rest assured that Jongin is very well-trained. He's self sufficient and will be able to tell you pretty much everything you need to know about hybrids and hybrid pet care." Baekhyun gives Kyungsoo a practiced smile after they've done a quick tour of Kyungsoo's neat, compact apartment. 

"I ... noted, Mr. Byun. Thank you." Kyungsoo nods formally as he shows Baekhyun to the door while Jongin stands in the hallway nondescript black duffel bag. As the door clicks shut, Kyungsoo stares at the knotted grains in the wooden surface. Now that it's just him and the hybrid, his anxiety levels are beginning to rise. He hadn't thought this through well enough. Surely his apartment isn't that quiet and he's not that lonely. Why had he taken such drastic measures?

"Excuse me," It's the first time Kyungsoo has heard it and Jongin's voice is deep and rich and for some reason, it makes him think of dark amber maple syrup as it dribbles onto buttery pancakes.

"Yes?" Kyungsoo turns around.

"Where would you like me to put my things, Master?" Jongin's ears are twitching almost imperceptibly and his palms slowly rub the tops of his thighs in a gesture of ... Kyungsoo isn't sure if it's awkwardness or anxiety. And he abruptly remembers Baekhyun telling him that Jongin's never had an owner. He's probably feeling as nervous and as out of his element as Kyungsoo does, and suddenly some of the pressure that's been clamping hard on his chest melts and drains away.

"Please don't call me that. I can't ... I don't want you to call me that, okay? Just call me Kyungsoo. Let me show you where everything is and then we'll go downstairs to get some food, all right?" Kyungsoo offers in what he hopes is a kind voice.

"All right." Jongin's husky voice is subdued, but to Kyungsoo's relief, he stops fidgeting and reaches for his bag.

* * *

Jongin hasn't met a lot of humans.

First, there are the trainers he'd known at Agape - some of whom were really decent and some of whom ... well, Jongin could always tell they distrusted, even feared hybrids for being less than human. It was obvious in the way they tensed around Jongin and his kind, like hybrids were somehow unpredictably alien because they were born from a lab procedure rather than nurtured in a mother's womb. 

Then, there are the frontline officers he's met like Baekhyun and Luhan who've always treated him well enough. Although the two men have never been quite affectionate with him, they've never treated him like he was _other_. Jongin is grateful for the kindness the two officers have shown him over the years, even if he resents the fact that they're ultimately responsible for getting him "adopted". Because Jongin doesn't like being made to feel like he's nothing more than an object to be handed from one owner to another. He doesn't like it but he fears living on the streets even more. 

He's never been outside the Agape facility and he's never set foot on an actual street but he's watched news programs and documentaries; he knows people are vulnerable to the elements and all forms of violent crime out there. The only life Jongin has known up to this point has been confined within the walls of Agape-owned clinical, fluorescent-lit labs, cheerless classrooms and gyms, and spartan dormitories. It's not an ideal living environment but he's always had a comfortable enough bed to sleep in and three regular meals a day and no one has ever tried to physically abuse him ... so Agape is the closest thing to home he's ever known. And it helps that some of the hybrids he grew up with had become friends. 

But now he's finally met another human from the _outside_ , one who isn't an Agape employee or caretaker. He doesn't consider the other clients who'd come to view him as a potential pet over the past two years as humans he'd _met_. Until Kyungsoo chose him today, his interactions with outside humans had been limited to Jongin being appraised and examined and found wanting.

Now he's finally living in a place which isn't Agape owned and it's finally sinking in that everything he experiences from this moment on will be outside of anything he's ever experienced. Jongin's never really been afraid of anything but maybe he should be. Some hybrids who'd returned to the centre after unsuccessful placements had told him discouraging tales of owners who had tried to violate them, who had beat them, who had made them work their fingers to the bone, who hadn't fed them properly and who'd made them sleep outside. 

The part of him that's cat is wary and fearful that Kyungsoo will mistreat him like some of his friends' former owners had done, but the part of Jongin that's human ... that part is irresistibly drawn to Kyungsoo and just wants to know and understand him. Usually the cat is the one in control when Jongin is thrown into the company of strangers but in Kyungsoo's case, his human side is overpowering his feline instinct to withdraw and hide. 

So even though Jongin resents having a price tag slapped on him and being put up for sale, he doesn't resent the fact that it's Do Kyungsoo who's taken him as a pet. There's something about the quiet, unassuming man he can't resist and Jongin isn't sure why he needs to uncover the contents of his heart, why he needs to _learn_ Kyungsoo. He's wanted to from the moment Kyungsoo entered the holding room that evening with Baekhyun, with his serious demeanor and his intense eyes, all churning with indecision. And he _will_. He will look inside his heart, Jongin vows as he unzips his bag and proceeds to empty it out with the few things he doesn't really call his own: 3 t-shirts, 3 collared shirts, 2 hoodies, 2 pairs of shorts, 2 pairs of trousers, 5 pairs of briefs, a toothbrush, a comb and a shaving kit. 

The hybrids at Agape aren't allowed to have any personal belongings and only items distributed by the Centre are allowed. As Jongin takes a pitifully brief two minutes to put away his things, he wonders if Kyungsoo will allow him to have things he can really call his own.

* * *

They end up at the _seolleongtang_ shop across the road with rustic, low wooden tables and flat, pastel colored cushions to sit on. Jongin tries to hide it but he's clearly fascinated by his surroundings.

"Do you have to take off your shoes at every restaurant?" Jongin asks as he points at the sea of shoes to their left. They'd had to remove their shoes before stepping up onto the raised wooden floor where the dining area is located, and there are at least 30 pairs of shoes on the floor below. Customers sit cross legged in stockinged feet as they eat their ramyun and converse loudly with their dinner companions.

"Not every restaurant. The ones with traditional tables, though, you definitely have to remove your shoes. Jongin ... have you been to many restaurants?"

"This is my first." Jongin says it matter-of-factly.

"They never took you to any restaurants?" 

"They never took us anywhere. I mean anywhere outside. The hybrid facility has everything we need so there was no need to take us out, I guess."

"So this is the first time in 19 years that you've seen the outside world?" Kyungsoo is mortified that Jongin has been literally locked away all his life.

"Well, they let us watch TV so we know what the outside world is like but yeah, this is the first time I've seen Seoul outside of the facility. It's ... so amazing. The air smells so different out here." Jongin smiles as he gives up trying to contain his excitement, his masculine features taking on a boyish edge. And Kyungsoo feels an inexplicable urge to take care of him. 

"What do you mean by the air smells different?"

"There are so many smells on the street. Traffic fumes, street food, people ... and I can smell the flowers too. Cherry and magnolia. We have some cherry and magnolia trees in the compound. There's a small garden in the courtyard and they let us spend an hour there each week. There's a glass roof over it though, so we can't smell the air outside. The air is thick with the scent of flowers in spring. I imagine spring on the outside to smell like cherry and magnolia blossoms too. Does it?"

"I've never really noticed." And it's true, Kyungsoo often walks past flowering trees without looking at them or taking time to inhale their scent. When had he stopped noticing the signs of spring? More accurately, when had he last noticed signs of the seasons passing or anything at all really? As Kyungsoo mulls over this, the waiter arrives and places two bowls of steaming noodles on the table. Jongin watches Kyungsoo expectantly, and the latter suddenly realizes Jongin is waiting for some kind of instruction. 

Kyungsoo isn't sure how this makes him feel - that he's supposed to instruct Jongin. It's one of the things Baekhyun had told him, that he's supposed to give Jongin instructions which Jongin will obey unquestioningly as he's been trained to do - as long as they're not in contravention of the no-sex, no-abuse policy. Either way he looks at it, it seems wrong to have so much power over another person and Kyungsoo doesn't like it. But he'll worry about that later as Jongin looks like he's ready to devour an entire cow.

"Let's eat." Kyungsoo gives Jongin an awkward smile. He's never been very good with people and his smiles always end up ever so slightly awkward. For the next few minutes, all they do is eat noodles and slurp the thick, milky beef bone broth. And every now and then, Jongin steals a look at Kyungsoo who pretends not to notice.

* * *

That night, as Jongin lies on his new bed, stretched out in the dark, he thinks about the sights he's seen today. The street and sidewalks in front of Kyungsoo's apartment building with their multitude of vehicles and passersby. A vendor selling fish-shaped pastries called _bungeoppang_ which Jongin has seen on TV but has never tasted. Cherry trees growing out of squares of earth in the centre of the pavements. His first restaurant experience. There are so many things he can't even catalog them all.

If Jongin is being honest, he's tried better _seolleongtang_ at the Agape cafeteria, but this bowl of noodles just seemed tastier because he was eating it in a new place, surrounded by people. All those humans! Old ones, young ones, middle-aged ones and children - they're all fascinating to Jongin who's only known so few humans in his lifetime. But most of all, Jongin is fascinated with _his_ human, his eyes constantly drawn to him. It's partly because Kyungsoo's so handsome with his strong eyebrows, too-serious eyes and full lips which remind him a little of his own, but there's something else about Kyungsoo that calls to Jongin. Kyungsoo is so reserved and controlled and Jongin just wants to chip away at the walls till he can see what's on the other side. 

At Agape, his closest friend had been Sehun who was recently adopted by a small-boned, pixie-featured man called Minseok. Everyone had been surprised when the client had picked the tall, blond cat since most humans preferred pets who didn't outstrip them in size; and Sehun had a good 4 to 5 inches on his new owner. Jongin had watched with a sinking heart as Sehun packed his things into a small, company-issued black duffel bag. 

They'd grown up together and done everything more or less side by side, all their lives, and Jongin would likely never see Sehun again. Agape never allowed the hybrids to stay in touch once they were adopted. It caused ... unnecessary complications. _No attachments_. That was the company policy that had been drilled into their heads like an unwelcome mantra from early childhood. So Jongin had reined in his dread and sorrow that his friend was leaving and they'd exchanged one final, hurried, tearless hug before Luhan escorted Sehun out of the dorm.

That was four months ago and he's gotten used to not having his energetic, noisy friend around and he doesn't miss him much at all these days. Kyungsoo is nothing like Sehun. He's nothing like Sehun at all. He's low-key and quiet and calm and Jongin likes him so much. But Jongin doesn't want Kyungsoo to be his friend the way Sehun had been his friend. As fatigue finally overcomes Jongin after the eventful day he's had, the last thought in his head before he drifts into sleep is that he wants Kyungsoo to be so much more than a friend.

* * *

Kyungsoo knows it's stupid and impossible but somehow, when he's lying in bed that night, the after-the-lights-go-off ambient sounds of his apartment don't sound as oppressively solitary as they had before.

It's not as if he can hear his new roommate snore so why does it feel less quiet and isolated? His new roommate ... is that what he should call him? Roommate? Because the word pet seems condescending and Kyungsoo isn't at all comfortable with the idea of being someone's _owner_. It feels a little too much like slavery and that's not okay with him, so he's going to think of Jongin as a roommate he's responsible for - someone whose bills he'll have to pay for the next 15 days. At the end of it all, he'll return Jongin because he already knows he's not cut out to own and control the life of another. He'll return Jongin when the 15 days is up so he can forget he was ever possessed by whatever temporary madness had made him get a pet in the first place.

But for the meantime, Kyungsoo will get through the next 15 days with his new roommate. By the end of that time, he should have figured out a decent justification for returning Jongin which leaves the hybrid completely blameless. If he brings him back any earlier, he worries there might be repercussions on Jongin - maybe the company will blame him for not trying hard enough to be a good pet? Kyungsoo doesn't know that this will happen but he won't risk Jongin suffering for his own poor judgement.

* * *

The next few days are only mildly disquieting considering Kyungsoo, who's lived alone for years, is now unexpectedly sharing a smallish apartment with a stranger. A polite and obliging stranger, but still a stranger. They've managed to establish a sort of routine. Kyungsoo uses the bathrooms first thing in the morning because he needs to get ready for work; with the commute he has to be out of the house by 7 am. Jongin prepares a simple breakfast and does some housework around the apartment during the day and in the evening, he cooks dinner. The rest of the time is his to spend as he wants.

Kyungsoo brings him to buy some books in the nearby bookstore and shows him how to switch channels on the living room TV. He's very conscious of making sure Jongin has things to occupy him with while he's at work, because hybrids aren't legally allowed to go anywhere without being accompanied by their owners. Frankly, it's a relief to Kyungsoo that Jongin can't roam the streets on his own. If anything were to happen to him ... Something cold clamps around Kyungsoo's chest at the very idea of Jongin being hurt or lost.

On weekday mornings, Kyungsoo usually has a quick breakfast where he grabs some cereal or toast or heats up some leftover food from dinner. There just isn't time for anything else. When he enters the kitchen on the first morning though, he finds two fried eggs and a slice of toast waiting on the table for him. And he suddenly hears Baekhyun's voice telling him that Jongin is self sufficient, and that he cooks and does housework.

"Jongin, I don't expect you to prepare my breakfast for me or clean the house. I ..."

"But I need to have something to do. I can't just lie in bed all day." Jongin scrunches his nose distastefully and that's the closest to a childlike gesture Kyungsoo has seen from the hybrid in the brief time he's known him. He's so mature for a 20 year old that Kyungsoo forgets his actual age. Jongin has an air of subdued self confidence and maturity that makes him seem like he's in his mid-20s, like he's close to Kyungsoo's age.

On alternate days, Kyungsoo calls Jongin at home to tell him not to cook dinner and instead, he takes him to a small eatery or _pojangmacha_ nearby, and Kyungsoo never fails to be amazed at how something so ordinary as eating out is such a source of wonder for Jongin. And that's nothing compared to his reactions the first time Kyungsoo brings him to a supermarket. All the aisles and aisles of food and drink and produce and even toothpaste - everything's new. 

"We only use what they give us. You don't get to say what kind of shampoo or soap you want so everyone smells more or less the same," Jongin explains.

"Well what do you want?"

"What do you mean?"

"What soap and shampoo do you want?"

"You mean I get to choose my own?"

"Yes, Jongin. You pick the ones you want and I'll pay for them."

"Thank you." He says, voice slightly shaky as he gives Kyungsoo a look of gratitude before poring over the shelves packed with brightly colored shampoo bottles. He eventually settles on something called _Ryeo Heukunmo_ before reaching for a box of soap with a cute rendering of a giant glass milk bottle and two cows and the words _MILK & HONEY_. Kyungsoo smiles a little when he sees the image, he's not sure why. Maybe he's just smiling because Jongin is so obviously thrilled about getting to choose some things for himself - other than a book to read or a show to watch anyway. When they reach the produce section, Kyungsoo leans over the shopping cart and asks Jongin to pick the meat and vegetables he wants, and Kyungsoo watches as he carefully sniffs and examines a green bell pepper. 

"How do you know which ones are best?" Kyungsoo asks.

"We all have to take two years of basic cooking classes - you know, in case our owners need us to cook for them. So our culinary trainer taught us how to select the best fresh food. I like cooking." Then Jongin looks at Kyungsoo shyly, "I hope you'll let me cook for you often, Kyungsoo."

"I ..." Kyungsoo hesitates because he doesn't know how to tell him that he's returning him in less than two weeks, and he really should. He doesn't want him to think that he's staying for good when he's not. But there's so much hope in Jongin's eyes that in the end, all Kyungsoo can bring himself to say is, "Okay." The guilt congeals in his stomach, forming a distasteful ball as Jongin smiles happily at him.

* * *

It's mid April and the city is awash with watery pink and white cherry blossoms. Pastel curtains of delicate blooms hang off the the ends of branches, woody fingers reaching for sidewalks and patches of grass. Kyungsoo isn't always aware of it but Seoul really is breathtaking in spring. These days, when he walks past cherry trees lush with blooms, he subconsciously walks closer to the trees so he can inhale and let his senses slowly fill with the heady mixture of flowers and the fresh crispness of spring air. Seeing the riot of dainty pink blossoms makes him think of the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival. Kyungsoo tries to remember when he last went to Yeouido Park when the cherry blossoms reached their zenith and he just can't recall. _It's been too long_ , Kyungsoo thinks, and makes up his mind to bring Jongin.

That evening, while they're washing the dishes together, Kyungsoo says casually, "I have the day off tomorrow. I was thinking we might take a bus to Yeuido Park for the Spring Flower Festival."

"I've never been to a park. Or been inside a bus." The excitement is simmering beneath the surface but he's trying to be as calm and mature as possible about this - Kyungsoo can tell.

"Does that mean you don't want to go?" Kyungsoo asks teasingly.

"I do! I want to go so much. Thank you, Kyungsoo." And to Kyungsoo's surprise, Jongin wraps his arms around him in a tight hug, his cheek resting on the crook of Kyungsoo's shoulder. Not sure what to do with his hands, Kyungsoo places them awkwardly at Jongin's waist and tries not drown in Jongin's heady male scent. 

He can feel Jongin's adrenalin-quick heartbeat pulsing against his chest and wonders if hybrids have a faster heart rate than humans or whether it's just the excitement about tomorrow's outing? Kyungsoo should disentangle himself but his limbs feel heavy and sated in Jongin's embrace and Kyungsoo just lets Jongin hold him a while longer. When Jongin finally releases Kyungsoo from his embrace, he mutters a sheepish _sorry_ before turning back to rinse the dishes as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

* * *

The concrete paths are scattered with bruised seashell pink petals and they're crushed underfoot as Kyungsoo and Jongin walk towards Yeuido Park. It's a Friday and Jongin's been living with Kyungsoo for five days. He's seen and done so much in that time he doesn't even know where to begin. But one thing Jongin is sure of and that is that everything begins and ends with Kyungsoo. Surreptitiously, he watches his owner walk beside him. Jongin's been slowly chipping at the walls and he likes to think that Kyungsoo is warming up to him a little. For one, he'd allowed Jongin to hug him the night before without pushing him away.

Jongin couldn't explain how his senses had sung when his skin had touched Kyungsoo's. How his heart had raced so much faster even than his usual 120 beats per minute that he'd feared it would burst. How his nerve endings had flashed with fire; how the heat had converged unbearably in his groin. Jongin recognized all the signs. These were signs the hybrids at Agape weren't educated on because hybrids were supposed to live some kind of half-life as asexual beings with no physical urges. That had worked out well enough for Jongin all this time because he'd never met anyone who could make his body react this way. Not until Kyungsoo.

A hybrid named Minhyuk had returned to Agape two years before. Minhyuk had been almost 25 years old when Jongin first met him, with a dispirited beauty and the most melancholy eyes Jongin had ever seen. He'd asked Minhyuk why he looked so sad all the time and he had told Jongin that he was dying of a broken heart. He and his owner Yonghwa had loved each other and they'd bonded as mates. Minhyuk's body had taught him how to imprint and mark his owner. They'd been with each other for five years and they could take short periods of separation when Yonghwa had to go on business trips where it wasn't possible to bring Minhyuk, but anything beyond 5 days had been a strain for them both.

Jongin couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Minhyuk - he'd been back at Agape for two weeks by then. He'd already lost a frightening amount of weight and drifted around the facility with perpetual shadows under his eyes. Yonghwa had been killed in a road accident and no one in his family had been willing to take on his pet so they'd returned Minhyuk to Agape. Jongin had tried his best to be a friend to him but Minhyuk mostly wanted to be left alone, to grieve. Jongin let him be when he needed space. Finally, after two months of listless struggle, Minhyuk had passed away in his sleep and for the first time in his life, 18 year old Jongin had shed tears over another soul.

But even the tragic memories of his late friend did nothing to calm the heavy arousal between his legs and the pulsing ache low in his gut. Based on things Minhyuk had told him, a hybrid's body would only awaken if they found someone they wanted to mate with. When he was a teenager, Minhyuk had had a crush on another hybrid but he'd never wanted to do more than kiss him on the cheek. His body just hadn't been interested sexually. But when he'd fallen in love with his owner, he'd become more and more physically aware of him until one night, he'd finally kissed Yonghwa.

"Once your skin knows his, your body awakens,” Minhyuk had told him, “That first time, you'll have to take care of it. If you don't mate with him, you'll have to find some other form of release or it will stay hard. After that things will be normal. You won't always get excited when you touch him, unless ... yeah."

Jongin had never had a crush on anyone until Kyungsoo and he'd never touched himself sexually because there hadn't been any need to before this. But as the dull throbbing intensified, he closed his eyes and thought about Kyungsoo, and his hand instinctively reached inside his boxer shorts. It was the first time he'd ever held his cock in his hand for any reason other than to soap and wash it in the shower. But hugging Kyungsoo an hour earlier had kindled a slow burning flame in his body and it was crying for some kind of release. He'd read about handjobs in books but he'd never felt the urge to experiment. It looked like he had no choice now though, because the ache in his cock was building and there was no way he was going to knock on Kyungsoo's door for help.

Gripping his cock firmly, Jongin moved his fist in a slow, unsure stroke and a breathy moan spilled from his throat, shocking in its loudness. Embarrassed, Jongin covered his mouth with his left forearm as he continued to stroke and pleasure himself. Flames of desire licked at his skin as he closed his eyes and imagined kissing Kyungsoo's plush lips. His over sensitized skin felt tight, too tight, as his hand moved at a feverish pace and his tail curled around his thigh, adding its own intense trail of fiery sensation. At the phantom touch of Kyungsoo's hands on his body and his tongue thrusting into his mouth, Jongin stroked himself harder. As he imagined Kyungsoo's strong, pale hand wrapping around his cock, Jongin moaned desperately into the back of his own hand and his body stiffened as he found a shattering release—

* * *

There's a residual wintry chill to the air so they're both wearing hoodies and jeans in spite of the blue skies and spring sunshine. As Kyungsoo gazes at Jongin lying on the grass beside him, he wonders if he should bring Jongin shopping for more clothes. He might enjoy having a say over what he gets to wear after years of having everything chosen for you by the company that "owns" you. Yes, Kyungsoo decides that he'll bring him to Garusogil when they're done here because it has the most interesting array of shops and they can have dinner there before they head for home.

Jongin is a creature of the sun. 

He revels in the sunlight bathing his arms, face and neck if the low purring noises Kyungsoo can only just make out are anything to go by. He looks sleepy, eyelids flickering open and shut as the warm rays of light lap at his face and tickle his skin. Just before he falls asleep for real, Jongin settles himself closer to Kyungsoo so he's lying on his side and his forehead is touching Kyungsoo's thigh. Before Kyungsoo can even react to this, Jongin's tail flicks lazily, then rests on his legs. He should move to the left so he's out of Jongin's orbit but ... he can't seem to move, nor does he actually want to. It's nice having the warm press of Jongin's forehead against his jean-clad thigh and the not-quite-there weight of his tail across his legs. 

Kyungsoo feels a pang as he watches Jongin doze in the sunshine he seems to love so much. The hybrid has mostly been cooped up indoors except for the times Kyungsoo brought him out - but it's always been at night, way after the sun had sunk into the horizon. Jongin's never complained about being confined indoors all day but now Kyungsoo knows being outside is something Jongin actually loves and needs. 

Suddenly, Jongin moans softly and snuggles closer, his arm looping around Kyungsoo's thigh and his head moving so his cheek rests on the edge of Kyungsoo's thigh. Kyungsoo almost stops breathing as he sees that beautiful face and jawline up close. He should really move now because Jongin's right hand is curled up, just inches from his crotch. He should really move ... but instead he gently caresses the coffee colored hair that's practically in his lap. Kyungsoo's never touched cat ears before and the temptation to touch Jongin's is overwhelming but he somehow manages to stop himself. 

The park is teeming with people who have come to enjoy the spring sunshine and air and the exquisite clouds of pink and snowy white cherry blossoms that festoon the park. But Kyungsoo is oblivious to all the beauty surrounding him as he watches Jongin sleep and worries about how difficult it will be for him to give up this boy ten days from now.

* * *

Kyungsoo usually stays at home at weekends and cleans the apartment but now the apartment is spotless, thanks to Jongin's daily domestic efforts. He would still have stayed at home if he had the choice as he dislikes going out and dislikes crowds. But for Jongin, he makes the effort. So he takes him to the Namsan Tower so he can see the city of Seoul spread out before them. The weekend crowds are daunting and Jongin holds on nervously to Kyungsoo's arm and he permits it because he doesn't want to lose him in the ocean of Seoullites and tourists. But mostly Kyungsoo allows it because he likes the way Jongin's fingers press into his skin and his right shoulder aligns behind his left one as he almost clings to Kyungsoo in his anxiety. Kyungsoo likes it far too much.

He takes him to Shinsadong because the art district is quaint and pretty. He takes him to watch a movie at a cinema in that area and Jongin is enthralled by the size of the screen and how everything seems sharper and louder and more intense in here than on a TV screen. Kyungsoo takes Jongin to all the places he used to love as a teenager but had lost sight of as he'd fallen further and further into adulthood. Revisiting his old haunts with someone as innocent as Jongin makes Kyungsoo feel like he's gradually recovering lost shards and fragments of his soul he'd thought were long gone.

On Sunday night, they watch TV together. They're sharing the sofa and halfway through some movie they're watching, Jongin rests his head on Kyungsoo's shoulder and makes a contented noise. Kyungsoo knows he should push Jongin away but he just sits there and pretends he's not affected, pretends he's actually watching the movie. Later, when he's alone in his room, Kyungsoo stares at the inky tree shadows that dance across his ceiling and asks himself how he'll give Jongin up in 9 1/2 days. How?

* * *

Jongin bolts the door and leans back against it, sighing. Kyungsoo's been home for 3 days straight so the next 11 hours will be even lonelier and harder to fill than they'd been in his first 3 days here. Kyungsoo usually gets home around 6pm and this morning Jongin had told him he'd be cooking _kimchi jjigae_ and _bulgogi_ for dinner and he'd smiled and said he was looking forward to it. Jongin's enjoyed all the outings with Kyungsoo but now he just wants to cook for him and have a quiet dinner with him at home, so he can have him to himself without nameless, faceless strangers in the background.

Kyungsoo is still very reserved but Jongin knows he's thawing a little bit more every day. On Friday, at the park, Jongin had woken up from his nap to find Kyungsoo's thigh under his cheek and Kyungsoo's hand in his hair. He hadn't wanted to spoil the moment so he'd "slept" a few more minutes, while Kyungsoo stroked his hair gently and his hybrid heart had wished he would touch his ears too. Then on Saturday, Kyungsoo had let him hang on to his arm the whole time they were at the Namsan Tower. The crowds had honestly stressed Jongin out - he'd lived his entire life in a small facility with a finite number of inhabitants after all - but only for the first ten minutes or so. Beyond that, he was just holding on to Kyungsoo because it made him feel safe and well ... wanted. Finally, last night, he'd taken his biggest risk so far and laid his head on Kyungsoo's shoulder uninvited. He'd been so worried that Kyungsoo would reject him that time and push him aside. But he hadn't. In fact he'd let Jongin lean against him till the end of the movie.

Jongin is running out of time. He isn't stupid. Kyungsoo hasn't said anything about sending him back to Agape but he never speaks of them in the future tense and he hasn't said he's keeping him either and Jongin's instincts tell him Kyungsoo is still wavering over which path to take. So Jongin will have to find some way to convince Kyungsoo that he belongs with him. He wants nothing more than to be Kyungsoo's; he just needs to convince Kyungsoo that he wants Jongin back.

No matter what it takes, he _will_ find a way. Because being without Kyungsoo isn't an option anymore. It's far too late now.

* * *

It's Monday night. Kyungsoo's reaching up to store the dried dishes in the crockery cupboard when he's suddenly surrounded by the warmth of Jongin's arms around him and the wall of his strong chest behind him.

"Let me." Jongin says quietly as he takes the dishes from Kyungsoo's slightly shaky hands and slides them onto the shelf effortlessly. Kyungsoo waits for Jongin to move away but he stays where he is.

"Jongin?" He asks just before Jongin's arms slip around his waist, "What are you doing? Is this allowed?"

"Cuddles are allowed." His low, husky voice sends tingles coursing across Kyungsoo's skin, and Kyungsoo gasps as Jongin's lush tail winds itself around his right thigh. 

Jongin's nose is moving along his nape like he's inhaling Kyungsoo's skin and memorizing the scent of it. Cats did that, didn't they? They sniffed humans and rubbed against them? This was perfectly normal, wasn't it? But then he feels the tip of a warm tongue tentatively licking his neck and he pulls away slightly because it feels too good and it shouldn't. He shouldn't be thinking about Jongin that way. He's supposed to be a _companion_ , nothing more.

"That didn't feel like just a cuddle, Jongin." Kyungsoo turns around so he's facing Jongin.

"Maybe it wasn't meant to be just a cuddle," Jongin's voice and gaze are steady and intense, as his linked hands settle over Kyungsoo's sacrum.

"But that's not allowed. We can't." Kyungsoo says firmly and he hopes Jongin finds him more convincing than he finds himself.

"No one would know." Jongin's voice is low and persuasive and it would be so easy for Kyungsoo to just give in. But there are rules of pet ownership he can't violate.

"Please?"

"I don't think -" Kyungsoo begins to say, and runs out of words completely when Jongin kisses him on the cheek, near the corner of his mouth. It's the softest of kisses - almost like a kiss a child would give, except there's nothing childlike about the light in Jongin's eyes and there's nothing childlike about the flurries of sensation spreading across Kyungsoo's skin. "We can't." Kyungsoo gently removes Jongin's hands from the small of his back and retreats to his room and tries to forget the hurt in Jongin's eyes as he'd fled. Kyungsoo's felt dead for so long that the sudden flood of emotion is painful in its intensity. He hadn't wanted to leave Jongin's embrace at all. The truth is Kyungsoo had wanted nothing more than to pull Jongin closer and kiss him on the mouth like he'd kiss a lover, not on the cheek like he'd kiss a companion. And it was wrong to want that - wasn't that what the contract implied? Kyungsoo drags a frustrated hand through his hair and comes to the conclusion that he needs to return Jongin to Agape Pets as soon as possible before they end up doing something they'll both regret. 

He knows what he has to do now but the emotion burning up Kyungsoo's lungs as he tries to sleep isn't relief, it's dread. How will he give up Jongin so soon? How?

* * *

Kyungsoo stares at the business card in his hand. It says _Byun Baekhyun_ and there's a trail of digits beneath it which Kyungsoo has already keyed in. All he needs to do is press the call button and tell the Agape representative that he's realized that he isn't suited to owning a pet and that he'll be returning Jongin. But as he's about to call Mr. Byun, he sees Jongin basking in the spring sunshine at Yeuido Park, sees his lazy smile and sleepy eyes as he stretches his limbs out on the grass, sees his handsome face in profile as he sleeps on Kyungsoo's thigh and he slowly navigates away from the call screen. Jongin won't be able to see much sunshine if Kyungsoo sends him back and he doesn't want him to be deprived of sunshine; Jongin loves it so much. Sighing, he puts the phone back on his office desk - he'll decide what to do later. Then he makes his way to his colleague's desk.

"Minseok, have you got a minute?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"You've had your pet for a few months now, right?"

"Sehun? Yeah, 4 months now."

"Is he ... well, affectionate?"

"I don't know what you mean?" Minseok says cautiously.

"Does he hug you?"

"Sometimes. I mean he's my pet, of course we cuddle occasionally. Does your pet like cuddles?" Minseok watches Kyungsoo curiously.

"Yeah, yeah he seems to like cuddles. I just wondered if that was allowed because it says in the contract that certain things aren't allowed between pet and owner."

"Well, that law specifies that sex isn't allowed. _For now_." Minseok strokes his temple thoughtfully before giving Kyungsoo a meaningful look, "But honestly, if it were consensual, who would tell the authorities? I mean who would know?"

To Kyungsoo's chagrin, the office phone rings on the heels of that controversial statement and Minseok excuses himself apologetically as he takes the call. _It's going to be a long one_ , he scribbles on some note paper and Kyungsoo nods, and leaves. As he's on the way back to his cubicle, he thinks back to the time he'd asked Minseok about getting a pet. He'd had a long scratch on his arm from playing touch rugby with his hybrid, Sehun. The more Kyungsoo thinks about it, the more he thinks Minseok didn't get those scratches during a game of touch rugby.

_If it were consensual, who would tell the authorities? I mean who would know?_

Minseok's words keep echoing in his head like an unwanted mantra.

* * *

That night, dinner is a subdued and slightly awkward affair - the memory of last night's kiss still weighing heavily on both their minds. After the dishes have been dried and put away, Kyungsoo bids Jongin goodnight and goes to his room. There's no sound in the kitchen but the ticking of the wall clock and Jongin sighs. He can either pretend nothing happened or he can see this thing through and he knows which option he's taking as he finds himself standing in front of Kyungsoo's bedroom door. He takes a deep breath and raps his knuckles on dark wood.

"Yes?"

"Are you sending me back?" Jongin asks and Kyungsoo's eyes widen in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you've been undecided and you've been thinking about returning me, but please don't," Jongin pleads.

"This pet owning thing isn't for me, Jongin. It's not right for me to have so much control over another person's life. And the fact that I buy you like you're a piece of property for sale is wrong. It's just wrong."

"If you return me to Agape, I'll just become a piece of property for sale again and my next owner may not be kind like you. He might beat me, maybe even rape me - it's happened before with some of my friends," Jongin's voice is tinged with desperation.

"You're joking!" 

"It's happened to a few people I know. Please, Kyungsoo, don't send me away." Jongin reaches for Kyungsoo's hands, clutching at them tightly.

"You don't mean that, about the rape," Kyungsoo says in disbelief.

"It's happened more than once. The abusive owners had to do jail time. You're good to me and I just want to stay here with you, can't you keep me?" Jongin doesn't even care that he's begging. He'll do anything to convince Kyungsoo.

"But last night shouldn't have happened. Pets and owners can't ... I'm scared that if I keep you we'll break the rules."

"Who's going to tell them? I won't. Will you?" Jongin moves closer to Kyungsoo and snags him by the waist, using his greater strength to reel him in. "Please let me stay ... I just wanna be yours. I wanna be yours so much." And this time, Jongin doesn't take any chances as he crushes Kyungsoo's mouth with his own. He's never kissed anyone before but it's like breathing and Jongin's body knows what to do. It's pure instinct as Jongin slips his tongue into Kyungsoo's yielding mouth and their tongues glide wetly, sweetly against each other. Kyungsoo's hands slip under Jongin's t-shirt and splay across his lower back, caressing the caramel expanse and setting it on fire, leaving Jongin's nipples erect and his cock hard. 

"We're going too fast. Aren't we going too fast?" Kyungsoo's voice is breathy and drunk with pleasure and Jongin doesn't answer, kissing him instead and grinding his hips so their cocks rub through layers of clothing. 

"No, not too fast. We can't stop now, please," Jongin moans into that place where Kyungsoo's ear meets his neck and it thrills him when his owner writhes in response. Kyungsoo's skin is softer and paler than Jongin's ever anticipated and his mouth moves urgently over fragile looking collarbones, licking and dropping frantic kisses. The need to bite and bruise the pearl pale skin is threatening to overwhelm Jongin, but he knows it isn't time yet for that so he settles for kissing full, tempting lips instead. Kyungsoo's mouth teases his, evading his lips then capturing, then escaping again. Jongin loves the way Kyungsoo's tongue traces the contours of his lips, the way it nibbles playfully at his bottom lip. And even though Jongin's a novice, he's soon devastating Kyungsoo with his own brand of innocent but passionately sincere kisses.

Jongin's so caught up in the kissing that he's not prepared when Kyungsoo's fingers begin to fondle the velvety soft edges of his ears and he makes tiny whimpering noises in response to Kyungsoo's gentle touches. When Kyungsoo strokes the base of his ears, Jongin arches his back at the intense pleasure which spreads right to his cock and the movement makes him brush up against Kyungsoo's cock so hard they both gasp at the contact.

Before Jongin knows what's happening, he's lying on Kyungsoo's bed in nothing but his shorts and briefs and even those are halfway down his thighs. He only has time to register the scorching intensity in Kyungsoo's eyes just before his plush lips slide over his naked cock and then Jongin doesn't see anything anymore as all his senses focus on the things Kyungsoo's tongue and mouth are doing to him, the trail of pleasure they're wreaking on his skin. For Jongin, who's never had any one go down on him, it's almost too much that it's Kyungsoo who's creating this fog of ecstasy, and he can only hold back for a few minutes before giving one last tortured moan as he shudders and falls apart.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Kyungsoo asks quietly as he settles himself beside his ruined pet on the double bed.

"So much more than okay," Jongin's voice is huskier than usual as he opens his eyes and smiles at Kyungsoo gratefully. Then his voice turns serious as he asks, "Will you send me away now?" 

"I-"

"Kyungsoo, am I yours?" Jongin leans over him, trapping him with his arms.

"Yes, Jongin. Yes you are." Kyungsoo admits willingly and gives a sharp intake of breath as he feels a tug and Jongin removes his shorts and his shirt the same way Kyungsoo had removed his earlier. The cool air of the room scatters goosebumps on Kyungsoo's bare thighs and chest just before the heat of Jongin's mouth engulfs his cock and then he has no time to think of goosebumps as he surrenders to the hot, wet sensations surrounding him ...

Kyungsoo's moans grow increasingly louder and less far apart, and as the knot of pleasure in his groin is on the verge on unravelling, Kyungsoo pushes Jongin off him and fists his own cock until he spills onto his sheets, panting and moaning. He's barely come down from his high before Jongin's nestling close to him, long, tanned arms and legs draped over his. Jongin drops a kiss on his shoulder and Kyungsoo swears he can feel Jongin's lazy smile imprint his skin. His chest feels heavy and full as Jongin cuddles up to him and sighs contentedly

"Kyungsoo, am I yours?" Jongin's sleepy words fall on Kyungsoo's skin like a dream.

"Yes, Jongin, yes you are." Kyungsoo places a tender kiss on Jongin's temple, "You're mine." He says just before they fall asleep in each other's arms.

Kyungsoo wakes up in the middle of the night to find the lights still on. Jongin's arms cradle him from behind, and his sleep-heavy breaths tickle his ear and his bare skin rests quietly against his own, and Kyungsoo knows with all certainty that he won't be able to give Jongin up in 7 days. Something tells him he won't be able to give Jongin up _ever_.

* * *

"Wake up, Jongin."

Jongin's eyes open to find Kyungsoo's palm on his cheek. A shy smile forms on his face as he says _good morning_. Kyungsoo says it's 6.30am and he needs to get ready for work and Jongin nods but he nuzzles against Kyungsoo's chest anyway. And to his delight, Kyungsoo strokes his hair and his ears.

"You know if you touch my ears, it gets me hard." Jongin says frankly and Kyungsoo laughs. 

"I'm sure some of your friends have touched your ears before." Kyungsoo kisses Jongin's forehead affectionately. 

"They have, but I never got hard. It only happens if your mate touches your ears." 

"Are you saying I'm your mate?" Kyungsoo watches him carefully.

"When I say I want to be yours, I mean it in every way, Kyungsoo. I want to be your mate but I won't force you to be mine if you're not ready. I know you were still thinking about returning me last night."

"Oh, Jongin, I'm sorry. I was afraid."

"Are you still afraid?" Part of Jongin is afraid of Kyungsoo's answer but the other part really needs to know where he stands with his owner.

"No." Kyungsoo says simply and Jongin lets out a loud sigh of relief.

"You didn't think I'd still return you after last night?" Kyungsoo's tone is incredulous.

"I just wanted to be sure." Jongin chuckles.

"So I'm not actually your mate yet but you get hard if I touch your ears. I don't understand, Jongin."

"Well, I want you to be my mate so my body recognizes your touch. And it will only ever respond to you."

"But what if you move on? What if you like someone else?"

"I won't. We mate for life. Once we pick someone, that's it. There won't be anyone else. I know humans are different and you ... move on all the time. Unless you're bonded. If you're bonded, you don't move on either." Jongin observes Kyungsoo nervously but the other man just looks curious.

"They teach you all this at Agape?"

"No!" Jongin snorts, "Agape tries to make us believe hybrids don't need love or sex. What we know is based on what other hybrids tell us. Those who've been though it or seen others go through it." 

Kyungsoo is quiet, so quiet. It's like he's trying to digest all the information. Maybe he doesn't realize he's doing it but his fingers reach out to fondle Jongin's ears. It barely takes Jongin's body ten seconds to respond before his stiff cock is pushing insistently against Kyungsoo's thigh. 

"Jongin?" Kyungsoo says in surprise at the intrusion and then Jongin's palm fits over his already stiffening length. "I have to get ready for work," he gasps as Jongin massages it.

"It won't take long, I promise." Jongin strokes Kyungsoo persuasively. 

"I'll be late," Kyungsoo complains and then Jongin's mouth is all over him and there's no more talk about getting ready for work ...

_* * *_

A week later, Jongin whispers in Kyungsoo's ear that it's been long enough, shouldn't they have "proper sex" already? Kyungsoo laughs and asks what he means by "proper sex".

"I've been doing some Internet research," Jongin says evasively.

"I'm scared to ask!"

"I wasn't going to say!" Jongin glares, his tail twitching slightly. But he takes a black bottle from his shorts pocket and places it on the bed between them. 

"How did you get your hands on that?!" Kyungsoo's expression is a peculiar mixture of curious, worried and amused.

"When you were buying aspirin and vitamins at the pharmacy last weekend, I slipped it into the basket when the cashier was scanning stuff."

"That's sneaky! So that's why you insisted on putting the things away when we got home."

"You're taking too long. It might be snowing outside before you decide we're ready to take the next step."

"Jongin!" 

"It's time. I'm ready. _We're ready_." Jongin says with a stubborn set to his jaw.

"I ... I guess we are." Kyungsoo says in a mild daze and then Jongin is kissing him and straddling his hips, grinding against him erotically before he has a chance to change his mind. Their shorts are off in no time at all and feverish moans fill the room as their bare shafts rub against each other, and Jongin tongues Kyungsoo's pale pink nipples. Then he licks a warm, leisurely trail down Kyungsoo's belly and lower, lower still until his tongue and mouth surround Kyungsoo's eager cock. At some point, Kyungsoo stops him and shows Jongin how to use the lube on his fingers so he can stretch him slowly. He teaches him how to insert one finger and yet another, but Jongin discovers where his sweet spot is all on his own. He has Kyungsoo writhing and moaning around his fingers for quite a while before the other man groans, "Now, Jongin, I need you inside me now," 

Once Jongin's spread the cold, slippery lube over himself, he raises his body and carefully eases himself inside, filling Kyungsoo slowly with his hard length. The tight walls are clamping around his shaft and Jongin's never felt such intense pleasure. And it's so much better than a blow job because he can see Kyungsoo's face as he moves in and out and over him, his eyes closed in ecstasy and his bottom lip caught between his teeth. He can caress his body with his hands and tease his pretty nipples with his tongue. And oh God, the sensations as he glides in then out then in again; they're almost too intense and he can feel the tension spiking as his hips snap faster and faster. His hand finds Kyungsoo's cock, fisting it in rhythm to his own body's movements. It's Jongin's first time but his cat instincts are guiding him and there's no hesitation as he plunges faster and faster and Kyungsoo yells his name as he climaxes just seconds before Jongin comes apart in a shower of sparks. As he collapses, exhausted on top of Kyungsoo, the other man wraps his arms around him. 

"I love you, Kyungsoo." Jongin says, still panting from the exertion as his cheek rests on Kyungsoo's chest, the other man's still frantic heartbeat pulsing beneath his ear.

"I love you too, Jongin." Kyungsoo links their fingers together, "I love you, too."

Jongin smiles as his eyes start to droop. They haven't mated yet but Jongin thinks that Kyungsoo will eventually be ready. He'll be ready one day and that's good enough for him. 

For now.

* * *

Now that Kyungsoo isn't wrestling with his conscience and his heart about whether to keep Jongin or not, he's finally able to really fully enjoy having the hybrid around. They wake up, usually in each other's arms or at least beside each other. Jongin prepares breakfast while Kyungsoo showers and sometimes, Kyungsoo says _forget breakfast_ and they make love then shower together. But most of the time they eat breakfast together in the morning and share a lingering kiss at the door before Kyungsoo leaves for the day. And when he comes home, Jongin is waiting at the door with a smile, a hug and a kiss, in that order. At night, they make love and go to sleep in each other's arms like they've been doing it for years instead of days and weeks. And sometimes they're both too tired and just chat in bed in the dark until they fall asleep.

When he walks to the office these days, Kyungsoo occasionally looks up at people's faces; he pays attention to the variety of smells around him; he learns to distinguish between the floral aromas of cherry and magnolia. At work, he sometimes smiles honest to God smiles, not just smiles he tacks on his face because they're expected of him. 

Minseok notices the lift in spirits and asks if things are going well with his pet and Kyungsoo laughs, and says _yes, they're going more than well._ Somewhere along the line, they find out that their pets were best friends at the center and Sehun and Jongin resume their friendship via phone conversations and the occasional meet up. It makes Kyungsoo feel less guilty about being the only person in Jongin's life - not that Jongin seems to care. He insists he's perfectly happy to spend time with no one but Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo isn't the least bit surprised when Jongin tells him that Sehun and his owner are a mated pair. Jongin doesn't say anything about the fact that they're not mated but Kyungsoo knows he yearns for it. Kyungsoo tries to imagine a life without Jongin and every part of him recoils from the idea - his mind, his body and especially his heart. Kyungsoo knows he needs this just as much as Jongin does. It's been six weeks since the hybrid came to live with him and he's deferred this final commitment long enough. 

An extensive Naver search reveals that owners often buy a collar for their hybrid pets - to establish ownerships as well as to make them feel special and cherished. But when Kyungsoo thinks about his relationship with Jongin and what they've come to mean to mean to each other, he knows their mating will go so far beyond this unbalanced concept of pet ownership that a collar won't do for Jongin or for him. Because Kyungsoo belongs to Jongin just as much as Jongin belongs to Kyungsoo, and he wants to find something special to give to Jongin that expresses just exactly how much he means to Kyungsoo.

Mind made up, he ignores the pile of editing work on his desk and does a little more research.

* * *

It's been 46 days since Jongin moved in and Kyungsoo insists on taking him out for a nice dinner and a movie. It's summer, and the sultry night air trickles warmly down their bare arms as they take a leisurely stroll to the train station. They're wearing t-shirts and jeans and walking side by side like any regular couple, except they're not holding hands and Jongin has cat ears and a tail. Hybrids are still a very rare sight in Seoul as most owners keep their pets confined to their homes. Fortunately, they don't attract too many stares - people on the sidewalk are too busy catching up after a hard week of school or work, singing songs off key, and eating street food and drinking soju in _pojangmacha_ s to take too much notice of the odd pair. In the cinema, there are no stares as everyone concentrates on the images on the screen, and Kyungsoo's fingers secretly stroke Jongin's arm in the dark. The white hot pulses shoot up and down his arm, right to that place between his legs and Jongin is both deeply aroused and tortured because they're in a public place where neither of them can do anything about it.

The train is packed with Friday crowds so Jongin and Kyungsoo are jostled and squashed together by other passengers. They try their best not to look overjoyed as their fellow commuters give them a legitimate reason to be chest to chest, with Kyungsoo's face buried in Jongin's chest. "You smell of milk and honey and Jongin." Kyungsoo whispers in his ear so only Jongin can hear. He smiles and can't resist placing a hand on Kyungsoo's waist. Jongin makes it look like he's just steadying him against the sway of the train but Kyungsoo and him both know that he really just needs to touch him. He's been wanting to touch Kyungsoo all night which is why going out on dates is always a conflicted pleasure for Jongin. On the one hand there's so much to see and do, but on the other, physical contact isn't something they can indulge in outdoors. They always have to be so careful while they're out that they can hardly keep their hands off each other by the time they get home.

Once they've let themselves into the apartment, Jongin pushes Kyungsoo against the wall impatiently as his mouth captures Kyungsoo's in a punishing kiss. A small sound of pleasure lies trapped in Kyungsoo's throat as Jongin's palms cup his jaw and his lips move frantically over Kyungsoo's. He lifts him by the waist and Kyungsoo instinctively wraps his legs around Jongin's hips as their tongues tangle passionately. Kyungsoo arches his neck as Jongin kisses his throat and collarbones hungrily. Then Jongin is moving, his hands gripping Kyungsoo's ass firmly as he somehow gets them to the living room couch.

"Jongin, wait! Stop," Kyungsoo's face is so beautiful as he lies beneath Jongin and he stops even though his body is screaming at him to take Kyungsoo.

"Why are we stopping?" Jongin's propped up on his elbows, breathing labored, and he rests his forehead against Kyungsoo's as he attempts to calm his body down.

"There's just something I need to show you first. It's important. Just wait." 

Jongin groans in frustration and he rolls onto his back as Kyungsoo gets up and walks over to the guest room (where Jongin still keeps his clothes and things just in case an Agape officer shows up for an unannounced visit) and disappears inside its dark recesses for a minute or two. He finally emerges with two deep brown silk covered boxes in hand. Smiling like he's about to explode from a secret he's kept for too long, Kyungsoo stops in front of the reclining Jongin and places the pretty cloth boxes on his chest.

"Soo?" Jongin's heartbeat refuses to slow down despite all his efforts.

"Open it." Kyungsoo sits on the floor and rests his cheek on Jongin's taut, flat belly.

"Which one?" Jongin examines the boxes one after another and he forces himself to be composed even though his heart is hammering in his throat.

"It doesn't matter. They're both the same size." Kyungsoo says mysteriously and Jongin holds his breath as he flips open one of the boxes. It's an ID bracelet with a slim, wafer thin ID plate held in place by two black leather cords on each side. The design is simple and elegant and young and Jongin loves it.

"It's beautiful, Soo." Jongin takes it carefully out of its cushioned moorings.

"Look at the back." Kyungsoo says softly and Jongin turns the ID plate around and his eyes widen in surprise, then mirth.

"Why is there a hamster engraved on the back, Kyungsoo?" Jongin asks, unconcealed amusement in his voice as he examines the tiny hamster etched into the smooth surface of the flat, oblong silver plate.

"It's not a hamster. It's a prairie vole." 

"What's a prairie vole?" Jongin laughs.

"A really, really round, furry rodent. It's cute but ... not very romantic." 

"So you were trying to be romantic?" Jongin looks delighted as he nuzzles Kyungsoo's neck. 

"I never said I was trying to be romantic." Kyungsoo retorts self-defensively.

"But why a prairie vole?"

"Well, I did a search of animals that mate for life and there really aren't that many. Ironically, cats don't mate for life - isn't it funny how cat hybrids do? I didn't think you'd appreciate an angler fish or a wolf, and a swan is too girly for me so ... That kind of left us with the prairie vole."

"Animals that mate for life?" There's a note of hope twisted into Jongin's voice, and a suspicious, moist glow in his eyes.

"Yeah, since we're going to be mated, I thought it would be nice if we had matching bracelets and ..."

But Kyungsoo never gets to finish what he's saying as Jongin kisses him desperately and pulls him up onto the sofa so Kyungsoo ends up lying on top of Jongin.

"Do you really mean that, Soo? Because you can't change your mind afterwards. I mean the bond is irreversible."

"I know. And I'm sure I want this Jongin. I'm sure I'll always want you." Kyungsoo caresses Jongin's cheek and kisses him tenderly before reaching for his wrist. It always amazes Kyungsoo that Jongin, who's so much taller and bigger boned than him, has wrists exactly as slender as his. He turns Jongin's wrist over, "You're so beautiful, Jongin," Kyungsoo drops a kiss reverently on his smooth skin, "I hope you know how beautiful you are to me." 

"Soo," Jongin's tears are flowing unchecked now.

"Don't cry, baby." Kyungsoo kisses some of the tears away and wipes away the rest with the back of his hand. "Hold your hand out," Kyungsoo instructs gently and Jongin does as he's told. Carefully, Kyungsoo winds the bracelet around Jongin's wrist and fastens the clasp. 

"It's perfect." Kyungsoo smiles, admiring the way the bracelet looks on Jongin's wrist and something deep inside him takes possessive pride in the fact that Jongin is wearing it. Something inside him wants everyone to know that Jongin is his. 

"It _is_ perfect. _You're_ perfect, Soo." Jongin hugs him tightly and Kyungsoo sighs contentedly into Jongin's cotton-clad chest. 

"My turn now. You have to put mine on for me." Kyungsoo retrieves the other box. When the other bracelet, which is identical to the first, has been lovingly fastened onto Kyungsoo's wrist by Jongin, his lips slide over Jongin's and he says softly, "We belong to each other now, Jongin."

"We belong to each other." Jongin repeats slowly before kissing Kyungsoo; and this time it's Kyungsoo whose eyes glimmer with tears. Jongin doesn't say anything, he just envelops Kyungsoo in his arms and holds him close and stops trying to hold back his own tears.

* * *

They're lying on their sides in bed, naked and facing each other, identical bracelets on their left wrists. The curtains are drawn and Kyungsoo's bed and their nude bodies are bathed in pewter colored moonlight.

"Jongin, isn't there some special thing we have to do? I mean with the mating thing, is there a ritual? Like do we have to take vows or link arms and sip wine together? Is there something symbolic we have to do?" Kyungsoo's index finger slowly traces the bumps and dips in Jongin's collarbones.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Jongin says a little shyly.

"Well don't keep me in suspense, what is it?" 

"My friend Minhyuk, he wouldn't tell me exactly what it was. All he told me was that when I'm ready to mate with someone who wants to be bonded to me, my body will show me what to do."

"So you basically have no idea either?" Kyungsoo's eyebrows rose in disbelief.

"All he'd tell me was that we should be naked and that it should start with a kiss." Jongin sounds almost embarrassed at how cheesy it sounds.

"Well, we've got half of that covered at least," Kyungsoo says slyly as he eases himself nearer so they're skin-to-skin. Then he closes his eyes and fits his lips over Jongin's. The kiss starts off tender and soon escalates as Jongin's tongue sweeps into Kyungsoo's mouth and they taste each other. When their hands begin to roam over each other's bodies, it's like their skin is even more alive than usual and everything's more sensitive, more responsive. When Kyungsoo's mouth travels leisurely up his neck and sucks on his earlobe, Jongin cries out in pain-tinged arousal and when Kyungsoo flicks his tongue over Jongin's dusky nipple, the hybrid finds himself literally on the verge of coming. The slightest touch seems to send them hurtling to the edge, and it's both intoxicating and terrifying. 

Jongin's about to take Kyungsoo in his mouth when his body stops him and instinctively, he knows he has to turn Kyungsoo onto his belly. It seems there won't be any time for foreplay tonight because the mating bond is taking precedence and it wants Jongin to mount Kyungsoo and dominate him. Jongin's arousal has reached such fever pitched levels by now that it takes all his self control to spread the lube on himself without coming. Hands trembling, he positions Kyungsoo, lifting his hips as gently as he can before his body starts the cycle of pushing in, withdrawing, and pushing in again urgently. He fights through the white haze that's that has his mind and body in a thrall and manages to search for Kyungsoo, curling his fingers around his hard length. His hand works over Kyungsoo in rhythm to the rocking of his hips and the pleasure is all consuming for them both. Suddenly the bond is urging Jongin to bite Kyungsoo's nape, to mark him as his. Jongin tries to nip at the skin as gently as he can but once his teeth have marked Kyungsoo's skin, the carnal sensations intensify like wildfire and it only takes three or four more thrusts before Jongin and Kyungsoo explode in simultaneous orgasms ...

* * *

"Did it hurt? When I bit you? I'm sorry if it hurt. I couldn't help it, the bond ..." Jongin apologizes as he strokes Kyungsoo's back.

"It didn't hurt, Jongin." Kyungsoo reassures him and it's the truth. There hadn't been any pain when Jongin's teeth broke his skin - only extreme pleasure. "Do you feel different? Now that we're mated?"

"Um ... not really." Jongin laughs.

"So you don't see any invisible strings attaching us or anything with your special hybrid senses?" Kyungsoo sounds almost disappointed.

"I can't see or feel them, but they're there. My friend Minhyuk? He was bonded to his owner Yonghwa and when Yongwa died, Minhyuk was sent back to Agape. Hybrids can't survive long after the bond is broken, and Minhyuk only lasted two months. He just didn't wake up one day. It wasn't suicide or anything like that. He told me he was dying of a broken heart and in the end, I guess he really did die of one."

"I'm so sorry Jongin, about your friend." Kyungsoo held his hand tightly.

"It was a long time ago. He told me it was hard for them when they had to be apart any longer than 5 days. It became almost impossible to sleep and eat, and they had to live with a constant painful ache in the chest. That's what Minhyuk said anyway. I guess ... I guess I should have told you about this earlier, before you made up your mind to be my mate. I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything, Soo. Maybe part of me was scared you'd back out."

"I would still have said yes, though. Even if you'd told me about your friend, my answer would still have been yes. I meant what I said - we belong together, Jongin." Kyungsoo fingers the leather cords on Jongin's bracelet, his eyes gazing intently into Jongin's before he leans over to give him a lingering kiss.

"Thank you for choosing me instead of Jongdae. And thank you for keeping me even though you didn't really want a pet. I love you, Soo ... I hope you know how much." Jongin pulls him close and prays Kyungsoo can't tell that he's crying again.

"Shhh ... I know. I love you, too. We'll just have to make sure we never have to be apart for more than a couple of days at a time and we won't have anything to worry about." Kyungsoo looks up at him and his eyes soften as he sees wet eyelashes and glistening cheeks for the second time that evening.

"Jongin, don't. We managed to find each other, it was always meant to be. When I walked into that room with Mr. Byun, I think I was looking for someone to save me. I needed you just as much as you needed me. Before I brought you home, I was just drifting through life with nothing to live for. But I have you now." 

"Are you trying to make me cry even more?" Jongin half sobs, half chuckles.

"No, I'm not! Okay, you know what? This conversation is getting too serious. I think you need some distracting. I think it's time for me to make my claim on you. You got to mark me just now but I didn't get a turn. It's not fair if you have all the fun." Kyungsoo says teasingly just before he nuzzles Jongin's neck, leaving clusters of roseate marks on his skin and for the next little while, there's nothing but the sound of Jongin's husky laughter echoing through the room ...

~FIN


End file.
